Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"What's in there? Suddenly there was a big movement. Is there anything good in there? Please help me take a look."

Wen Yuan stared at him for a while, then turned his head and looked inside: "I saw His Majesty the Emperor. There was also the lake, nothing else. The Roman who came in the afternoon was also there."

"Very punctual." Zhu Xianxian stood on the edge of the lake, with Agathocles also beside him. The two people's clothes are still the same as yesterday, but the colors have been changed. Zhu Xianwen wore an ocher yellow robe today, while Agathocles changed into a red toga of another color.

"Here you go." Zhu Xianfen took out three tips.

"Is this the legendary magic trick?"

"Aha! You guessed it right. These are the three secrets I prepared for you. Open the first one on the way, the second in New Antioch, and the third when you return."

"Thank you for being so ceremonial." Shangluo took the three tips and prepared to put them into the map of mountains and rivers.

"Wait a minute, you can't put it in. That bag of tips is also a magic weapon, and it will cause disturbance if you put it in it. Just hang it on your belt. And... let me check the time." Zhu Xianxian took out his pocket watch and took a look, "Well, probably still I'll be there in one minute - I think you are quite destined, I was told to arrive a little early, but it happened to be just in time for you to arrive."

"Arrived a little early? So what?"

"I don't know either, but I can only tell the time when it's almost there."

"It's the vehicle you have seen." Agathocles explained, "You have indeed seen it."

"Have I seen it?" Shangluo thought for a while, "Could it be?"

1 minute, on time.

In the shallow Taiye Pond, a huge black shadow appeared under the water. The startled carp had no time to escape and was pushed out of the water by the black hull.

The Athens Navy's phlogiston submarine with hull number 39 broke through the waves. The submarine with a draft of 10 meters floated in a pool of only 2.3 meters deep.

After it came to a stop, the conning tower exhaled like a whale—and discharged gas like an airlock for a spacewalk. Then the hatch opened, and the crew members wearing fish tank helmets and heavy diving suits like space suits Get out of it.

After looking around slowly, they determined Shangluo's location. After confirming that it was safe, the crew climbed out of the hatch with difficulty.

Arriving at the shore in an assault boat, Shangluo saw clearly the man wearing a fish tank helmet - Marcus, the captain of the submarine, whom he had seen before.

"Io Triumphe (for victory)!" After standing still, he gave a military salute to Zhu Xianhen and Agathocles, and then looked at Shangluo, "Your Excellency, King of Rome, we meet again."

"You, you're not. I heard you died?"

"Yes. Dead." He patted his helmet, "So I have to wear this mobile cage to move. You may have noticed that this suit is extremely heavy and has counterweights everywhere. Because I am now I had no weight anymore and had to use weights to simulate my weight distribution. It was really hard to get back into the sun."

"Do you have to wear this all the time?"

"No. A virtual environment has been built in the submarine. We only need to wear this suit when we go out of the cabin, so there is an airlock at the exit of the command tower to transition between the internal and external environments. So... if you Ready, we can leave now." As he said this, he also greeted Zhu Xianene and Agathocles:

"Sorry, I can't salute according to the etiquette in this outfit. It's also difficult for me to contact the outside world. The sounds and lights from the outside world are blurry, but the voice of the King of Rome can be heard clearly. If nothing happens, we Just leave first."

"Understood, understood." Zhu Xianfen nodded. But he found that the other party seemed unable to see such a subtle movement as "nodding", so he raised his arm and waved, "Have a good trip! Leave early and come back early!"

"Thank you. Then, Your Majesty the King of Rome, let's go. His Majesty Victoria has prepared a welcome dinner for you on the ship. Oh, it's daytime here? Then welcome to the morning tea. In short, welcome aboard the ship."

Chapter 712 Stealth Suit

Riding on a small assault boat, Shangluo and Phaethon sat in the middle, while Marcus sat in the bow.

Driving on the shallow Taiye Pool, Shangluo also realized what Marcus meant by "weightless" - he was wearing a heavy-duty diving suit that looked like a space suit, but the bow of the boat was not pressed down much. It seemed Just a normal human portion.

"32 grams." Marcus said, "This is the weight of my soul. I didn't know it not long ago that it only weighs such a small amount. But fortunately, my soul is still heavy. It represents my The soul is closer to the perfection of 42 grams. Many people who cut off their souls in exchange for power will find that their souls may be less than 10 grams."

"How does it feel inside?" Phaethon asked.

"Is the speaker Lord Phaethon? I recognize this voice, but I don't see the familiar light."

"it's me."

"As much as I want to say 'everything is normal', all I can say is that this feels 'very bad'. It's like looking up at the water from underwater, everything in the outside world has been distorted and refracted, from sound to sight. Although You can see the complete me inside this helmet, but conversely, looking from the inside to the outside is blurry. Occasionally, you can also see the [icy desert] - what is called reality in philosophy It’s something from the world. But it will be forgotten soon, because it is not understandable by human senses, just like dew on a lotus leaf.”

"Ah" Phaethon covered his forehead, "Is it always like this? Do you always have to experience this kind of world?"

"That's not true. In the [Lamp Burning Field] of the lighthouse, you can overwrite the rules of the outside world by burning phlogiston. Around the great lighthouse of Alexandria, the [Lamp Burning Field] of Cybolonia provides the most complete reality. We The lost weight will also be replenished - even, it can be more real than reality. Because the submarine is equipped with a high-strength Vulcan core, it ticks and ticks, so it is more comfortable. But it is different outside. , so heavy-duty diving suits like this are needed to maintain the seal inside the ship."

"There will be problems with the intensity of fighting like this." Phaethon shook his head, "How are you going to fight in such a heavy diving suit?"

"Actually, it can be like this." He reached out and groped on his chest, and pressed a switch - a golden light suddenly lit up inside his helmet, and the light danced in his helmet. Marcus's eyes suddenly changed. Become more agile. Then the bow of the ship sank violently.

He quickly turned off the lights, and the bow of the ship regained stability.

"That's it. There is actually a [Light] inside. When you turn it on, you can restore your weight, and you can also restore interaction with the outside world at the same time - to a certain extent, it can be regarded as barely restoring the physical body. But first, this little The boat is not big enough. Secondly, I have developed the habit of saving phlogiston. Although it can be replenished when floating, it always feels unsafe when floating. And after recovering the perception of the outside world, using some precision equipment is not question."

"That's good. But is there anything more flexible?"

"Yes. We also have battle suits, which are light phlogiston stealth suits."

"Ah." Shangluo suddenly remembered. He reached into his arms and took out a transparent mask, "Is this it?"

"That's it - King of Rome, why do you have such a trick?"

"This was given to me by your people when I went to break the golden branches and use it to go to the Nemi Lake Lantern Festival."

"That's right. We can still wear this special light stealth suit to go out, but we have to wear a [lantern], a portable lantern field, and the shape is indeed a lantern. It can be carried by hand , or can be worn on the waist, looking like a night watchman. The fabric of that kind of sneak suit is quite special, what do you think of it, King of Rome?"

"It seems to be very warm?" Shangluo recalled it, and it seemed that this was indeed the feeling at that time.

"In addition to keeping warm, it can also block the escape of phlogiston. Your suit is an environmental pressure diving suit, and the suit I am wearing is a pressure-resistant diving suit. This is how we can get back to the sun now."

[Troublesome. But it can barely be used. 】

"This voice is Lady Apollonia!"

【Well, I am speaking in a voice that you can hear too.】

"Where are you?"

[Next to you and on the boat behind you. There is a set of alchemists behind. 】

"Alchemist? You don't need to bring alchemists up. There are also several sets of alchemists on the boat. They are indirect operating equipment that we use when it is inconvenient to be directly exposed. If you need to use them, you can use these on the boat."

【Need not. I only use my own. 】

"Okay." He did not continue to persuade, "Ms. Apollonia, you should have your own considerations."

However, he was the only one who didn't understand. Phaethon whispered in Shangluo's ear: "She is budding in self-awareness."

"Well, it's not a bad thing." Shangluo looked at the boat behind him, "People will always grow up. People will always grow up."

[This is the first pleasant thing you have said in a few days. But don’t think it’s so easy to reconcile with me. 】

"Yes."

【Eh? Usually you would say 'yes, yes', and then give me a few perfunctory words, such as 'Ms. Apollonia is right.' Why don't you perfunctory me? 】

"Because I don't treat you as a child now."

【.】She was silent for a while, 【This is what I heard in the second sentence. I appreciate that you respect my freedom of 'self-choice' as an adult. I’ll give you a little red flower, tell me a little more. 】

“Would you like to decide for yourself what flavor of baby milkshake to drink tonight?”

【Black beans! Big black beans! I am angry! ] With that said, she hung up the phone.

Marcus, who was sitting on the bow of the boat, inexplicably noticed a wave of fluctuations - the current state was not entirely a bad thing. Although the interaction with the sunny world has weakened, the perception of the underwater world has become more acute. Although he couldn't hear the specific information, he vaguely sensed anger.

"A few of you, a few of you, please come into the boat one by one later." He changed the subject, "Because the airlock in the control tower is too small. Although you can replenish phlogiston when floating up, there is no need to be too economical. But Because the space is not big enough, I ask you two to get off one at a time."

[Where is my alchemist? 】

"That one can go through the cargo airlock."

【No. 】

"Ah, I understand!" Marcus understood immediately, "I'll move it and help you move it in from the personnel airlock."

[Very good, your little red flower is here, keep it up. 】

Chapter 713 Phlogiston Oxygen

Chapter 713 Phlogiston-Oxygen

"By the way, have you put on your divine chromium armor?"

Phaethon asked before boarding the deck of the submarine.

"I have it with me. It's in my pocket. You can take it out and put it on when needed."

"Then there's nothing to bring. Well, nothing." She thought about it carefully, "The gas in the house is also turned off, and the power supply is also turned off."

"Wait, where's the refrigerator?"

"Don't worry, the refrigerator was completely emptied before I unplugged it."

"You are really prudent in doing things."

"If you praise me, I won't give out little red flowers." Holding the gangway, Phaethon boarded the deck, "I really miss it."

"Have you taken it before?"

"Lord Phaethon often rides on our submarines." Marcus, who boarded the ship after him, explained, "In fact, the main purpose of submarines is to transport troops and cargo. There are very few opportunities to actually use them for combat. I There are only 4 times in my career, and the other one was with you."

"Anything else?"

"Well, for example, with the Kraken sea monster, we dived to 20,000 meters under the sea."

Following Marcus's guidance, Shangluo climbed up the escalator to the top of the command tower. The airlock there had its door open and could accommodate almost two people.

"Be careful where you step after entering, and please do not stand in the area within the yellow line, because the door below will open there - it may be dangerous, but this ship has just been renovated, and you have seen what it looked like at the beginning."

Shangluo nodded. He remembered that at the beginning, the submarine's door was not on the top, but on the deck, so you could walk in directly. Now the entire ship has implemented "phlogiston control", and the only two airlocks left for internal and external communication are cargo and personnel.

"Well, be careful, you two, I'm going to close the hatch." He opened the light field smoothly, and his movements returned to the flexible state of a human being.

Shangluo gestured with his thumb, and then he manually closed the airlock hatch.

In the airlock, a red light lit up, followed by a series of golden light bulbs to establish a lighting field, and phlogiston began to be injected.

[Ah~ It feels good, very bright. 】

"Can you see?"

A very clear vision. Sound, color, image, everything.

"Then do you want to try to come out?"

[Not very good. You can see that the weight is filled by phlogiston. 】

"Oh, it's too heavy."

【I am too advanced! If I fully showed up here, I would drain the entire ship of phlogiston. Only in the complete world you established can I show my body - but it doesn't make any difference if I use the Alchemist. 】

The phlogiston injection was completed quickly. Immediately afterwards, the gate below opened, and the two continued to move down the ladder into the boat - above, Marcus began the next round of transfer. If it is an emergency, phlogiston balance must be carried out whether entering or exiting the airlock. Because we are in a safe environment now, the phlogiston can be replenished at any time, so it only needs to be adjusted once when going in, and just put the phlogiston into the air when coming out.

After entering the command tower, Shangluo also entered a familiar environment - in front of him was a familiar narrow corridor, with a series of paintings hung at the end of the corridor like a gallery. The farthest frame is still moving, and several vague figures can be seen swinging around inside. There are crew members waiting at the door to pick up people.

Still the same as last time, the interior space of this submarine is much larger than it looks from the outside. This corridor is just a physical passage connecting various compressed spaces. The real living environment and command room are all in the frame.

"Speaking of which." Walking in the corridor, Shangluo sighed, "I have always had a feeling from the beginning - for these Romans who have 'submerged' now, has phlogiston become their 'oxygen'? '? It can be seen from Marcus's actions just now. When there is no phlogiston, he moves like a prokaryotic organism without mitochondria."

"I understand what you mean." Phaethon nodded, "No matter whether the creatures in this world breathe oxygen or anything else, they ultimately need to fall on mitochondria. Mitochondria were produced more than a billion years ago. Breathing has truly promoted the leap-forward evolution of life. Although it is difficult to say whether these 'new humans' have evolved, their life forms do rely more on phlogiston. To them, this is the same as oxygen in the past."

"So Cybernea is a natural dome?"

"Yes, that is a 'dome' made of light. Just like humankind's vision of the glass domes of colonies on Mars and the moon, it is a special environment created for human life. After all, for those who have sunk, what once made them The environment under the sun that they were familiar with is now as harsh as the surface of the moon. Familiar, but extremely unfamiliar. They can only continue to operate in the sun with the help of diving equipment, including this submarine. When operating, they also need Maintain your own phlogiston environment, which is the burning field.”

"You seem familiar?"

"The Romans were not stupid. This state of life was already determined before they sank. It's very painful, isn't it? It's like a dead ghost interacting with the living through masks and sheets. Heavy hard stealth The suit can last longer. Those light environmental pressure stealth suits have no way to properly protect the soul - they are more like hot air balloons. Although they are constantly leaking, just use lights to continuously inflate them. But even Even so, the essence of the soul may still continue to pass away in the sun.”

"No wonder Victoria has previously expressed fears about this kind of life. This is not life at all, this is a spacewalk, this is a big adventure."

"So your promise of 'returning the sun' inspired the entire upper echelon of Rome. If you had a choice, who would want to live in a glass dome that could be smashed through by meteorites or bombarded by solar storms at any time. Human beings, after all, It still belongs in the sun.”

"But this can also be regarded as an evolution to a certain extent? It is not appropriate to say evolution, but it is indeed okay to say evolution."

"Not being afraid of bullets is indeed an evolution. The combat effectiveness of this boat is actually quite strong now, because conventional physical means will not cause fatal damage to them even if they penetrate their stealth suits. As long as the phlogiston is completely leaked, Just return to a safe environment before. In addition, there is almost no leakage in the moonlight. They can maintain an almost immortal fighting power at night, like an unkillable ghost, and are almost completely immune to physical attacks - oh, by the way, this should be The Romans have sent you a escort. You can take command first during this investigation. And"

She paused for a moment: "Actually, they are very convenient to raise. You can keep them in the water when you are not going out on missions. Isn't there a water tank in your yard? The entire submarine can actually be parked in that water tank. , and then expose a snorkel outside. Isn’t it very convenient?”

Chapter 714 Ordering